Death Of You
by Emerald Moonrose
Summary: Axel had known it from the beginning, from the very first time he used that bad pickup line… "Nice pants, can I test the zipper?" Akuvex


Axel grunted, his bare back incredibly cold from the stainless steel table he was placed on. From the few seconds that he was on it, all of his heat was sucked into the table, mercilessly left with just enough body heat to keep him conscious and snappy. Definitely not enough to summon his fire. "Hey Vex, I didn't know you liked it kinky. Who knew that mister Icy-Dick actually had a soft spot for kinky things?" Then he laughed, staring up at the ice Nobody, who was restraining him to the table with metal clasps. "Or should I say a _hard _spot?"

Vexen snapped the last chain into place, sending Axel an irritated glare. "Shut up." With that he climbed over Axel and straddled the redhead tightly, his thin lips drawing up in a half-smirk and his peridot eyes gazing unabashedly over Axel's slender torso, hands drifting over the hard muscle the redhead always kept hidden underneath the coat.

Slowly, he traced over small, barely visible scars that looked like they had been just small scratches and tsked mockingly at Axel, hands drifting to the side where Axel couldn't see. "You know, it's always so hard to mark you as mine… How about we try again?" Suddenly, Axel's eyes rolled up in shock and he groaned as the knife slid across his skin lightly, only drawing a light stream of blood. The second time, he wasn't so lucky as the knife made its way deep into his stomach, forcing out a choked scream from the younger man.

Vexen laughed, then leaned down, capturing Axel's lips with his own. Axel replied feverishly, his lips moving rapidly against the other's, as if thirsting for something he never could have. The two moved in sinuous synchrony, a smooth, practiced dance that both of them almost had memorized, had it not always been changing. Finally Vexen pulled away, his eyes soft for once as he regarded the panting man with an expression similar to compassion, drawing his hand softly down his cheek before beginning what he had started, carving the letters 'IV' into Axel's taut stomach.

Axel never once complained, even as he choked down solid screams, his body arcing up from the table in ecstasy and pain. Not even when the last thing he saw was Vexen's self-satisfied grin, blood smeared on his chest and the blade hovering over his chest once more before fading into darkness.

* * *

It wasn't always like that.

When Axel first came into the Organization, he had immediately been entranced by the beautiful blonde hair, along with the long, graceful body. He didn't even wait more than a day of coming back into existence before hitting on the first thing he thought was hot- or check its gender.

"Nice pants, can I test the zipper?" He purred softly, making his way over to the blonde. The blonde ignored him, walking on as if he hadn't said anything. Axel cleared his throat, annoyed. "Hey, I just tried to pick you up, the least you could do is respond." He had to stop himself from recoiling in shock as the _male _turned around, his narrow jade eyes burning into Axel's own. Then, the man grinned, eyes glancing up and down the redhead. Axel wasn't normally the slightest bit prude, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to cover up _somehow_ when the other's eyes practically undressed him.

A low snicker was heard as one of the other members- _Sexion? _Axel wondered dimly. All he could remember was that it reminded him of sex- passed by him. "Couldn't have picked a first victim better, could you?" He heard him say before he disappeared into another room. Axel didn't know whether he was talking about him or the blonde. However, at the other's predatory grin and the glint in his eyes, he knew _exactly _what he meant.

"Yes…" He heard the other drawl calculatingly, still giving him that look, "You will do perfectly."

Axel didn't have a say in the matter as the man he now knew to be known as Vexen opened a portal and dragged him through, revealing a laboratory and a freezing cold steel table that Axel learned to love and hate. Although, he couldn't bring himself to argue as the older male led him over to the table, giving assurances of emotion, bringing back the sensation of life.

He gave Axel exactly what he promised, too.

_"I can show you how to feel."_

No one knew what was going on. All that they knew was that Axel disappeared between missions occasionally, which brought no suspicion, considering that a lot of the members did that. No one acknowledged the fact that Axel and Vexen were both gone at the same time, always having known that Vexen was the most anti-social Nobody of them all. The only one who did know anything was Zexion, the one who had passed them both on that fateful day and always knew that the scent of Vexen on Axel was no coincidence. However, he kept it to himself, remembering slight loyalty to the upper member.

Axel had no way of escape, not that he wanted to. He looked up to Vexen too much, the Chilly Academic being all that he knew from the beginning. That was all he knew, in his nonexistence. Even as he remembered his former life as Lea, how he remembered how he used to be, he didn't know how to go without Vexen's leadership. Vexen was all he had, especially since he was the first to show him how to feel.

Axel always was Vexen's dirty little secret, even to the latter's death.

He hadn't wanted to kill Vexen in Castle Oblivion, when Marluxia gave the order. He had to, though. Orders were orders, and while he depended on Vexen, he couldn't fail this mission; he had to gain their trust, stop them from taking over the Organization. Even while killing him, though, Axel felt that pang of pain, loneliness, loss. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't, he wouldn't. He forced himself to watch, remember that he was the one who killed him, _murdered _him, someone he relied on, made him feel. Roxas did too, but it wasn't the same. It never would be.

Later that same night, Axel couldn't sleep. He tried to, shifting around the bed every five minutes, doing whatever he could, but all he could remember was the way Vexen's face looked, betrayed and lost, the way he screamed when he was set on fire. It was like a constant nightmare, playing over and over in his mind. No matter what he did, that was all he could think of. Even when he finally fell into a restless slumber, he dreamt of the moment he followed through. Saying goodbye had never been so hard.

Then, the scene changed.

He was in his room again, except he knew that he was still dreaming, because Vexen was in the room, no longer dressed in the Organization cloak that he always wore, even when it was free-dress day. Instead, he was in a long-sleeved button-up shirt, black slacks and black loafers to match. In all, he looked… younger, almost, instead of the older man Axel knew him to be. Happier, even.

"Vexen!" Axel shot out of bed, eyes wide, but stopped as Vexen held a hand up. He held his breath as he waited for the former member to do something, _anything. _Finally, the Academic walked towards him, holding onto his chin as he gently laid a kiss on the other's lips, pulling back before it got any deeper. Slowly, he nodded, and his lips tilted upwards as Axel nodded back in the same way, always the pupil.

"You know, Vexen?" He said softly, looking up at the ice wielder with remorseful eyes, "Even before I met you, when I first tried that corny pickup line on you, I already knew; loving me would be the death of you."

The Academic just gave him a sad look and bit his lip, showing no regret as he pressed his lips lightly against Axel's forehead for the last time. He traced over the lines he made on Axel's stomach, feeling the marks that he had finally succeeded at engraving into him and gave Axel one last smile before fading away once more, leaving Axel with six final words:

_See you in the next life._

Axel never knew if that meant he was forgiven.

_You take the breath right out of me_

_You left a hole where my heart should be_

_Gotta fight just to make it through_

_'Cause I will be the death of you

* * *

_

A/N: First AkuVex story I've ever written. This is for you Amy. Hope it's up to your standards!


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